Taxing to cover shortfalls: More than 15 Florida counties have tax proposals on the ballot in August or November to help pay for critical government services, and most of them are for school districts that need money for basics such as security, building maintenance and teacher raises. “The reason that all these referendums are on the ballot is because the school districts have been losing money since 2008,” says Tina McSoley, a Martin County School Board member. “Between testing, busing and security, we can’t sustain this system that’s been created for public schools.” School officials and teachers unions blame the Legislature for the financial crunch. Florida Phoenix. Every school in Bay County would get security upgrades if voters approve a half-cent sales tax increase Aug. 28, say school officials. Some of the money would also be used for renovations and maintenance. Panama City News Herald.
School security: When Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School reopens next Wednesday, it will be guarded by 18 security officers. Three are school resource officers provided by the Broward County sheriff and the city of Parkland, and 15 are campus monitors and security specialists. The school now has a single point of entry, new fences and cameras, lockable classroom doors and a new procedure for student arrival and pickup. Teachers will wear ID badges for access, and visitors will be screened before being allowed on campus. “There’s no question this first day of school will be profoundly different,” says Superintendent Robert Runcie. Sun-Sentinel. St. Johns County school officials say new security measures will be "highly visible" when the new school year begins Friday. St. Augustine Record. Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast says he will not sign an agreement to help the school district pay for school resource officers. District schools will be covered when school resumes Monday, and the district will start the process of creating its own police department. Citrus County Chronicle. (more…)
A student meticulously counts beads at Bhaktivedanta Academy in Alachua, a Hare Krishna school
Alachua, Fla. - The art projects were distinct from most others. Students at Bhaktivedanta Academy had to use pieces of trash to create artwork weighing less than 50 pounds.
The project, Trashformations, was part of the 19th-annual student recycled art competition sponsored by the Alachua County Commission.
Students at the academy, which is rooted in the Hindu faith, worked tirelessly and won first place for their aquarium they built entirely out of discarded materials. They also garnered a third-place award for a city built out of similar material.
But the students did not complete the project to win awards or receive course credit. They wanted to bring awareness to the community of the need to recycle.
This was not their first community service project. Students at the academy have also collected food items and necessities for families in need, while others visited homebound individuals. Several students recently baked cupcakes, raising $296 for families in Puerto Rico.
David Aguilera, the school’s principal, said community projects are a central part of the Hare Krishna faith. The academy is open to students from diverse religious backgrounds, and it works to instill tenets like community service in all its students.
“The basic principle of Krishna Consciousness is we all have a relationship with God,” he said. “Our life purpose is to reestablish that relationship in loving service.” (more…)
